When I went to Vietnam I arrived at the Oakland Army Base on January 3, 1970. I found a post at another site that shows what little is left of the place now. I mostly just remember a big warehouse that seemed to be just after getting off the bridge on the Oakland side after crossing the bay from San Fransisco.

Remember a little library there, where I spent a lot of free time until I shipped. I remember getting pulled out by some Lt who fancied himself a chess player, and we played a lot of chess while others in the barracks were pulling details. O.K., I lost a few games, but I stayed off details. I wasn't that great a player, but he was worse.

At the time I was headed for a big adventure, and everything I owned was in a duffel bag at the end of the bed. A place to sleep, next meal assured, that was as free as I ever was before or have been since. Not all of the life of a soldier is bad.

I turned 21 in Oakland waiting on my transport to Nam.While out bowling and beering I ran up on my wifes double.I got so emotional I damned near headed back home.Then the better sense side of me held on and I got over it.Like pointman I had some good times in Oakland before my real big adventure started.Man,that was a long time ago.I also found out that California isn't all warm and fuzzy.I thought I was going to freeze my butt out there.

Went over from Ft Lewis and McChord AFB in WA. When I got out, July 1970, came from a year at Schofield Barracks, HI to Oakland. My wife was with me from living in Hawaii and I had all of my out processing done before I got to Oakland. Was only there to get my final pay. They gave us a small motel-like room for her to stay in while the group I was with got out processed. Most of them still had mud on their jungle fatigues as they just came in out of the field and got on a plane for Oakland, at least that's the way I remember it. But I spent most of the time with my wife while they did all the things I had done before I got there. Was there less than 24 hours, got paid and we jumped on a plane for home.
When we arrived at Oakland on a commercial flight from HI, I called the Oakland base for transportation from the airport to the base, just told them that Sgt Weed and spouse needed to get to the base. They must have bought my bluff, because they sent a Army sedan with a Spec-4 driver to pick us up.
The flight from Oakland to Seattle was the last time I wore my Army uniform.